New Year's foods are dishes traditionally eaten for luck in the coming year. Many traditional New Year dishes revolve around the food's resemblance to money or to its appearance symbolizing long life, such as long noodles or strands of sauerkraut. Sweets, symbolizing a sweet new year, are often given or consumed. Some cultures and religions have evolved complex food traditions associated with the new year. The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere was viewed as the demarcation point between one year and the next, and was traditionally a cause of feasting and celebration.[1]: 9–12  Feasting during this period symbolized prosperity in the coming year.[1]: 10  In Europe multiple pre-Christian festivals observed between the end of October and January such as Saturnalia, Hogmanay, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, and Kalends of January were held to ensure the return of the Sun,[1]: 10  and they typically required feasting, gift-giving, and partying. In early Christianity these were converted into Christian feast days such as Halloween, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, St, Martin's Day, St. Clement's Day, St. Catherine's Day, St. Andrew's Day, St. Nicholas's Day, St. Lucia's Day, St. Thomas the Apostle's Day, and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which started with Christmas Eve and ended with the Epiphany.[1] The tradition behind eating certain foods on New Year's Eve or on New Year's Day (and sometimes at the stroke of midnight) is the belief that eating these foods will ensure the coming year will be a good one and the superstition that not eating those foods will leave one vulnerable to bad luck.[2][3] Many foods and dishes are symbolic of long life, good luck, abundance, and prosperity in various cultures and traditions.[4] Green foods symbolize cash in places where paper money is green,[5] long foods such as noodles or stranded foods such as sauerkraut to symbolize a long life,[4] disk-shaped to symbolize coins, and gold- or silver-colored foods to symbolize precious metals and therefore prosperity.[4][6] Fish and pigs move forward, so eating them is considered to represent progress,[2] and in general pigs are considered lucky and silver-skinned fish as symbolic of money in multiple cultures.[3] Foods that are ring-shaped, such as bundt cakes, are considered to represent a full circle of luck.[2] Honey is considered symbolic of a sweet year to come;[2] multiple traditions give and consume sweets. It is common to value feasting at the New Year, whenever it is celebrated, as many cultures believe what happens on New Year's Day is a portent for the entire year, and a large meal is symbolic of a bountiful year without hunger.[7] Beverages also are considered symbolic. Champagne is considered symbolic of prosperity.[2] Offerings of mochi at the New Year for good fortune in the coming year are traditional in Japanese Buddhism.[8] The Feast of the Circumcision was traditionally celebrated on January 1.[9] The Feast of the Circumcision was traditionally celebrated on January 1.[9] Vasilopita, or St. Basil's Cake (or St. Basil's Bread), are sweet cakes eaten for the Feast of St. Basil on the first of January.[10][11] Eating vasilopita is believed to bring blessings and luck for the upcoming year.[11] Islamic New Year is the first day of Muharram. On the first nine days a sherbet is eaten "to commemorate the intense thirst which Hussein suffered" during the battle of Kerbala. The tenth day is Ashura, a day of fasting.[7]: 124–125  It does not occur on the same day of the Gregorian calendar every year. The 2021 date was in August and the 2022 date is predicted to be in July. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated by practicing Jews throughout the world on the first day of Tishrei, which falls between early September and early October.[12] Rosh Hashanah meals usually include apples dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet new year; this is a late medieval Ashkenazi addition, though it is now almost universally accepted.[13][a] Other foods with a symbolic meaning may be served, depending on local minhag, such as the head of a fish (to symbolize the prayer "let us be the head and not the tail").[14] Many communities hold a Rosh Hashanah seder during which blessings are recited over a variety of symbolic dishes.[15][16][17] The blessings have the incipit "Yehi ratzon", meaning "May it be Thy will." In many cases, the name of the food in Hebrew or Aramaic represents a play on words. The Yehi Ratzon platter may include apples (dipped in honey, baked or cooked as a compote called mansanada); dates; pomegranates; black-eyed peas; pumpkin-filled pastries called rodanchas; leek fritters called keftedes de prasa; beets; and a whole fish with the head intact. It is also common among Sephardim to eat stuffed vegetables called legumbres yaprakes.[18] Pomegranates are used in many traditions, to symbolize being fruitful like the pomegranate with its many seeds.[21] Typically, round challah bread is served, to symbolize the cycle of the year.[21][13] From ancient to quite modern age, lamb head or fish head were served. Nowadays, gefilte fish and lekach are commonly served by Ashkenazic Jews on this holiday. On the second night, new fruits are served to warrant the inclusion of the shehecheyanu blessing.[14] Offerings of mochi at the New Year for good luck in the coming year are traditional in Shinto.[8] Cheti Chand, the lunar Hindu New Year for Sindhi Hindus,[22][23] is celebrated with feasts.[24] It typically occurs in March or early April. Afghanistan celebrates two New Year's Days, one according to the lunar Islamic calendar and one according to the Persian calendar.[7]: 3  The Persian calendar New Year, No Ruz, is a two-week period celebrated at the vernal equinox which includes playing Buzkashi, considered Afghanistan's national sport, and eating samanak and haft mewah or haft mewa, which translates to "7 fruits" and is a dish of 7 dried fruits and nuts typically including raisins and golden raisins, dried apricots, senjed, walnuts, almonds, and pistachios, although recipes vary by region and family.[25] Haft mewah symbolizes spring, and the number 7 is considered lucky.[citation needed] Algeria celebrates two New Year's days, the January 1st date of the Gregorian calendar and the first day of Muharran. The tenth day of Muharran is Ashura, and many Algerians will fast. Those who do not may eat couscous, which is one of Algeria's national dishes.[7]: 4–5  Berber Algerians additionally celebrate the Berber New Year on January 14 or 12. In Canada at New Year's levées a cocktail called Moose Milk is traditional.[27] Chinese New Year is celebrated in January or February, depending on a lunar calendar. Gifts of citrus such as tangerines, oranges, and pomelos are thought to represent prosperity and are auspicious for New Year's Eve; their shape, color, and names are seen as symbolizing fullness and wealth.[2][28] Other commonly served dishes are spring rolls, dumplings, longevity noodles, glutinous rice cake or nian gao, the name of which means progressively improving.[28] Galette des rois or gateau de rois is a type of king cake often served on New Year's Eve and the Epiphany.[4] Like Austria, many in Germany celebrate with spiced wine, suckling pig dinners, and Glücksschwein.[4] Pickled herring is often served.[3] Vasilopita is a type of bread or king cake which is eaten on New Year's Day (the feast of St. Basil) to bring luck for the upcoming year.[4][3] Coins or trinkets are baked into the dough; it is considered lucky to find one.[4] Eating pomegranates is considered symbolic of fertility and abundance.[2] Diples are a typical dessert in the Peloponnese and are also served at weddings and at New Year's celebrations.[29] Lentils, the most common of which are greenish-brown disks, are considered to resemble the coins of ancient Rome and are symbolic of good luck and prosperity.[30][4][31] In Italy, dishes of lentils and sausage, also sliced into disks, are typical New Year food.[30] One common dish is Cotechino con lenticchie, believed to bring good luck.[4] Another common dish is zampone; chiacchiere is a common dessert, and prosecco is often served.[4] New Year's Eve is celebrated as La Festa di San Silvestro.[4] Osechi is an entire category of foods traditionally associated with the Japanese New Year, which until the late 1800s was celebrated according to a lunisolar calendar.[7]: 127–129  Eating soba noodles or toshikoshi, which means "to climb or jump from the old year to the new",[3][32] at midnight on New Year's Eve is considered lucky for the new year.[4] The tradition dates to at least the 17th century. The long strands are symbolic of longevity and prosperity.[4][3] The tradition of eating noodles on New Year's Eve dates to the 13th or 14th century.[3] Making and eating mochi rice cakes, mochitsuki, is also traditional at New Year's.[4][8] Mochi is also eaten in the form of zōni.[8] Mochi is left as an offering at Buddhist and Shintoist temples to ensure luck for the coming year.[8] In Korea, soup with white broth and white food such as tteok (rice cakes, typically long garae-tteok that symbolizes longevity) or mandu (dumplings) are eten in both Western and traditional New Year's Day, the latter known as Korean New Year. In the South of the peninsula, where traditionally rice was abundant, it is customary to eat tteokguk (rice cake soup), whereas in the cold and mountainous North where rice was scarce and mandu could be stored frozen outside in winter, mandu-guk (dumpling soup) is the traditional New Year's dish. In the central region such as Seoul, it is common to eat tteok-mandu-guk (rice cake and dumpling soup). Tamales are a traditional food in Mexico throughout the holiday season from the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on 12 December to Three Kings' Day on 6 January.[4] Rosca de reyes is a type of king cake also served during the season.[4] Ul boov and buuz are prepared for the Mongolian lunar new year, Tsagaan Sar.[33][34] Oliebollen, a type of deep-fried sweetened dumpling, is a traditional New Year's Eve snack sold from temporary kiosks called Oliebollenkramen.[4] Pickled herring is a popular New Year's Eve or New Year's Day dish in Poland, and symbolizes money because of its silver color. Bolo Rei cake is eaten throughout the holiday season.[11] It is considered good luck in Spain to eat twelve grapes at midnight, one at each tolling of the bell in the Real Casa de Correos clocktower at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, while wearing red underwear received as a gift.[4][35][7]: 226 [36] The tolling of the bell is televised nationally, and those watching around the country participate in the ritual.[35] The custom is called las doce uvas de la suerte, which means "the twelve lucky grapes."[3] Superstition says that on Nochevieja or "old night", failing to keep up with the clocktower will result in unlucky months; to ensure they can keep up with the tolling of the bell, some prepare their grapes ahead of time for faster consumption by peeling and seeding them.[4][3][35] The custom dates to at least the 1880s[35] and possibly the 1860s[3] and is also observed in other Spanish-speaking countries.[4][2] Physicians in local areas issue warnings against allowing children under five to participate in the custom because of choking risks;[37][38] in 2017 physicians requested the chimes be spaced further apart (from three seconds to five) to help prevent choking deaths.[39] Typically the grapes used are a greenish-white variety called Aledo which are a traditional Spanish product that ripens in November or December and has denominación de origen status.[35] Sri Lankan foods served for Aluth Avurudda/Puthandu (the Sinhalese/Tamil New Years) are typically sweets or desserts. Aasmi is a traditional deep-fried sweet snack.[40][41][42] Bibikkan is a traditional Sri Lankan coconut cake.[43][44][45][46] Kalu dodol is a sweet toffee.[47] Kevum is a deep-fried sweet.[48] In the US, areas with large populations descended from immigrants from a particular area tend to adhere to those areas' New Year food traditions.[30] Greens, thought to resemble dollar bills, are common New Year foods.[30] Others include lentils, which are round disks that are considered to resemble coins, and herring, which has a silver skin considered to symbolize silver coins.[30] In the Midwest and certain parts of Pennsylvania, pork and sauerkraut are common New Year dishes.[30][3] The fact that pigs root forward (as opposed to chickens, which scratch backward) is considered to be symbolic of making progress in the future.[30] Long strands of sauerkraut are considered to symbolize a long life.[30] Many in the Midwest are of German, Polish, and Eastern European descent, areas in which pork was commonly raised and where sauerkraut was common.[30] The traditional butchering calendar also meant fresh pork was available at the time,[3] and in most of the lower midwest cabbage is a late-year product. The tradition was likely brought to the US by the Pennsylvania Dutch.[3] Blackeyed peas, usually in the form of Hoppin' John, are a common New Year dish in much of the southern United States.[30] The dish also often includes pork, considered symbolic of good luck,[4] and often is served with collard greens[49] and cornbread; a common New Year saying is "Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold."[6][30] The tradition of eating Hoppin' John originated with enslaved people and dates to at least the 19th century; the first known mention is in the 1838 novel Recollections of a Southern Matron.[3][49] King cakes in the shape of a ring also are traditionally part of celebrations in the first days of the new year in the southern US, often with trinkets and coins baked inside.[3] The tradition in the US dates to the late 19th century and is a successor of similar European traditions; commercial bakeries in New Orleans began producing the cakes in the 1940s.[3][50] In areas with a large number of descendants of Italian immigrants, dishes of lentils and sausages are common New Year foods.[30] In areas with large Scandinavian-descent populations, herring is a common New Year food.[30] A related tradition is the smashing and sharing of peppermint pigs on Christmas Day to ensure good luck in the new year.[51] ^ In modern times, it is common for Jews who are also vegan to replace the honey with agave syrup. ^ a b c d e f g h i Shanahan, Madeline (5 April 2019). Christmas Food and Feasting: A History. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-7698-7. ^ a b c d e f g h Aldrich, Jennifer (23 November 2020). "Looking for Luck in 2021? These New Year's Day Dishes Deliver Fortune *and* Flavor". Country Living. Retrieved 25 October 2021. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Kennedy, Lesley (21 December 2020). "9 Lucky New Year's Food Traditions". History.com. Retrieved 25 October 2021. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Kludt, Amanda (29 December 2020). "They eat what? New Year's food traditions around the world". CNN. Retrieved 25 October 2021. ^ Garrity, Amanda (31 December 2020). "40 New Year's Good-Luck Recipes to Bring Health, Wealth, and Happiness in 2021". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 1 July 2021. ^ a b Markham, Madoline (15 December 2020). "Cook Up Some Good Luck With These Traditional New Year's Day Recipes". Southern Living. Retrieved 25 October 2021. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq Crump, William D. (2008). Encyclopedia of New Year's holidays worldwide. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-3393-3. OCLC 182656619. ^ a b c d e "Mochi". Chapman University. PBS. 1997. Retrieved 11 November 2021. ^ "Feast of the Circumcision Archives". Religious Holidays. Retrieved 16 November 2021. ^ a b c Banas, Anne. "14 holiday desserts worth a trip". USA TODAY. Retrieved 16 November 2021. ^ "An early Rosh HaShanah? – Ask the Rabbi". Oztorah.com. Retrieved 10 September 2018. ^ a b "Rosh Hashanah". history.com. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019. ^ a b "How Is Rosh Hashanah Celebrated? – An Overview of Rosh Hashanah's Traditions and Customs – High Holidays". Chabad Lubavitch. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019. ^ Angel, Marc, ed. (2000). Exploring Sephardic customs and traditions. KTAV Publishing House. p. 49. ISBN 0-88125-675-7. OCLC 1084775278. ^ "Brief Summary of the Keter Shem Tov's (Rabbi Shem Tov Gaguine) comments on the various minhagim practiced on the two nights of Rosh HaShanah at the evening seudoth (vol 6, pp. 96–101) compiled and explained by Albert S. Maimon". Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. ^ Segura, Debby (18 September 2008). "The Rosh Hashanah Seder". Retrieved 10 September 2018. ^ Sternberg, Robert (1996). The Sephardic kitchen : the healthful food and rich culture of the Mediterranean Jews (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-017691-1. OCLC 34284474. ^ Rashi (Keritot 6a) calls rubia by its Hebrew name "tiltan" (Heb. תלתן), which word he explains elsewhere as being fenugreek. However, Rabbi Hai Gaon, in one of his responsum in "Otzar Ha-Geonim", seems to suggest that "rubia" (Heb. רוביא) means cowpeas, or what others call, "black-eyed peas" (פול המצרי). Rabbi Hai Gaon's disciple, Rabbi Nissim ben Jacob (in his Commentary known as Ketav Hamafteah), thus explains the word לוביא, in our case spelled רוביא, as meaning non-other than cowpeas (פול המצרי), describing them as having a "dark eye in its center". Jews of North-Africa traditionally make use of stringed beans in place of rubia. ^ Mark-Anthony Falzon (2004). Cosmopolitan Connections: The Sindhi Diaspora, 1860–2000. BRILL. pp. 60–63. ISBN 90-04-14008-5. ^ S. Ramey (2008). Hindu, Sufi, or Sikh: Contested Practices and Identifications of Sindhi Hindus in India and Beyond. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 8, 36. ISBN 978-0-230-61622-6. ^ Mark-Anthony Falzon (2004). Cosmopolitan Connections: The Sindhi Diaspora, 1860–2000. BRILL. pp. 60–63. ISBN 90-04-14008-5. ^ a b Ayubi, Durkhanai; Ayubi, Farida; Ayubi, Fatema (2021). Parwana : recipes and stories from an Afghan kitchen (First ed.). Northampton, Massachusetts: Interlink Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-62371-875-6. OCLC 1202730753. ^ Nhem, Chea Bunly (22–23 May 2004). "Let Them Eat Cake". The Cambodia Daily. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2009. ^ Rummel, Rachel (7 December 2020). "Meet 'Moose Milk,' the Wintry Cocktail of the Canadian Military". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 17 April 2024. ^ a b "Chinese New Year 2015 Newcastle: Popular Chinese dishes eaten during the New Year's Eve Feast; The New Year's Eve feast plays an important part in Chinese New Year celebrations". Chronicle. 2015. ^ "New Year Traditions: Greek New Year". Australian Media Pty Ltd. Retrieved 8 November 2009. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bir, Sara (3 January 2020). "The True Story of Traditional New Year's Lucky Foods". Serious Eats. Retrieved 1 July 2021. ^ Amanda Garrity (3 November 2021). "8 New Year's Good-Luck Recipes to Bring Health, Wealth, and Happiness in 2022". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 14 November 2021. ^ Itoh, Makiko (24 December 2010). "Why not spend New Year's Eve totally soba?". The Japan Times. Retrieved 25 October 2021. ^ Crump, William D. Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide. McFarland. p. 169. ^ D, T.G.R.P.; Roufs, K.S. (2014). Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-61069-221-2. Retrieved 9 February 2019. ^ a b c d e Koehler, Jeff (31 December 2012). "Green Grapes And Red Underwear: A Spanish New Year's Eve". NPR. Retrieved 25 October 2021. ^ Compton, Natalie B. (28 December 2020). "7 international New Year's Eve traditions to try at home this year". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 30 December 2021. ^ Hartl typoey-Parkinson, Richard (2 January 2019). "Boy, 3, choked to death eating 12 grapes at midnight in Spanish NYE tradition". Metro. Retrieved 16 November 2021. ^ Sesay, Isha (30 December 2019). "New Year's Eve warning in Spain on the dangers of choking on grapes". Euro Weekly News Spain. Retrieved 16 November 2021. ^ "The otorrinos ask for more time between chimes to avoid choking | Society". Spain's News. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2021. ^ Thurab, Rafiya (28 February 2019). "7 must-have Sri Lankan festive sweets". News 1st. Retrieved 7 September 2020. ^ Samarawickrama, Inoka (9 April 2017). "Aasmi, the savoury sweet of Avurudu". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 7 September 2020. ^ "Sri Lankan Sweetmeats". Ceylon Travell. Retrieved 7 September 2020.[permanent dead link] ^ Bullis, Douglas; Hutton, Wendy (2001). Food of Sri Lanka. Tuttle Publishing. p. 104. ISBN 9781462907182. ^ Ratnapāla, Nandasēna (1991). Folklore of Sri Lanka. State Print Corporation. p. 166. ISBN 9789556100891. ^ de Silva, Pramod (11 April 2020). "Avurudu – A tribute to Nature". The Daily News. Retrieved 30 September 2020. ^ Samara, Daleena (November 2011). "Sweet Tropical Christmas". Serendib. Sri Lankan Airlines. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2020. ^ Kannangara, Ananda (8 April 2012). "Tantalising sweetmeats and delicacies". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2013. ^ "Of Kiribath, Kavum and Kokis". Daily News. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2014. ^ a b Carman, Tim (27 December 2011). "A New Year's tradition, born from slavery". Washington Post. ^ Barclay, Eliza (17 February 2012). "Is That A Plastic Baby Jesus in My Cake?". NPR. Retrieved 25 October 2021. ^ "The Christmas Tradition of Smashing a Peppermint Pig". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 16 November 2021. This page was last edited on 20 April 2024, at 00:49 (UTC). additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.